Acts 21:1-40 Paul Criticized for Telling the Gentiles, They Don't Have to be Circumcised

Paul Criticized for Telling the Gentiles, They Don't Have to be Circumcised

Acts 21:1-40                    The Acts of the Apostles [in Smaller Chunks]

And after we had [left] from them, & had launched, it [happened,] that we [went] with a straight course to Coos, [a.k.a. Cos,] & the following day to Rhodes. And from [there] [we went] to Patara.

And finding a ship sailing to Phenicia, [a.k.a. Phoenicia,] we went aboard & set [out.] Now, when we had [located] Cyprus, we [passed] [by] it on the left hand [side,] & sailed [on to] Syria, & landed at Tyre. For the ship was to [unload its cargo] there. And finding [the] disciples, we [stayed] there & days.

Paul. who, through the Spirit said, that he shouldn't go up to Jerusalem. [Acts 20:23-24 [Except] that the Holy Ghost, [a.k.a. Holy Spirit] witnessed [to me] in every city, saying, [what] bonds & afflictions [awaited] me. But none of these things [discourage] me. Neither [do] I [consider] my life dear to [me,] so that I might [continue to] finish my [ministry's] course with joy. And the ministry that I have received [from] the Lord Jesus [is] to testify [about] the Gospel, [through] the grace of God.]

And when those days [were finished] we [left] & went [on] our way. And they all, with wives & children, brought us on our way, [until] we were out of the city. And we kneeled down on the shore & prayed. And when we had [said our good-byes,] [to] one another, we [boarded the] ship. And they returned home again.

And when we had finished our [voyage,] from Tyre we came to Ptolemais, & [greeted] the brethren, [a.k.a. fellow-believers,] & [sayed] with them 1 day. And the next day, we, [who] were of Paul's company, [a.k.a. group,] departed, & came to Caesarea.

And we entered in the house of Philip, the evangelist, [who] was 1 of the 7, And [stayed] with him. [Acts 6:2-5 Then, the 12 called the multitude of disciples to them, & said, It isn't [reasonable] that we would leave [preaching] the Word of God, & serve tables. [For this reason,] brethren, [a.k.a. fellow believers,] look out among [yourselves] [& find] 7 men [reported] [to be] honest, & full of the Holy Ghost, [a.k.a. Holy Spirit,] & wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. But we will give, [a.k.a. focus,] ourselves continually to prayer, & to the ministry of the Word. And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith & [full] of the Holy Ghost; and Philip; Prochorus; Nicanor;Timon; Parmenas; & Nicolas, a [convert from] Antioch.]

And [Philip] had 4 [virgin] daughters, [who prophesied.] And a certain prophet, named Agabus, came down from Judaea, [a.k.a. Judea, while] we [stayed] there many days. And when [Agabus had] come to us, he took Paul's [belt] & bound his own hands & feet. And said, the Holy Ghost, [a.k.a. Holy Spirit, says this,] The Jews [in] Jerusalem, shall [also] bind the man, [who owns] this [belt,] & shall deliver him into the hand of the Gentiles.

And when we heard these things, we & [those from] that place, both [begged Paul,] not to go up to Jerusalem. Then, Paul answered, What [do] you mean [by weeping] & [breaking] my heart? For I am ready, not only to be bound, but also to die [in] Jerusalem, for the Name of the Lord Jesus.

And when [Paul] wouldn't be persuaded, we [stopped] & [said,] The will of the Lord be done. And after those days, we [packed] up our carriages, & went up to Jerusalem. Also [some] of the disciples from Caesarea, went with us there & brought with them, an old disciple, one Mnason [from] Cyprus, with whom we should lodge.

And when we [had] come to Jerusalem, the brethren gladly received, [a.k.a. welcomed,] us. And the following day, Paul went in with us to James; & all the elders were present. And when [James] had [greeted] them, he [especially] declared what things God had [brought about] among the Gentiles, [through Paul's] ministry. [Acts 26:22-23 Therefore, having [received] help [from] God, I continue [until] this day, witnessing to both [the:] [powerless & powerful,] saying, [only those] things [that] the prophets, & Moses [said] should [happen.] That Christ [would] suffer, & that He [would] be the 1st, [Who would] rise from the dead, & [would show] Light to the people, & to the Gentiles.]

And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord, & said to [Paul,] You [see] brother, how many 1,000's of Jews there are, [who] believe; & they are all zealous [about] the Law.

And they [were informed through] you. [In] that, you [taught] all the Jews, [who were] among the Gentiles to [abandon] [the Laws of] Moses, saying that they [shouldn't] circumcise their children, & neither to walk, [a.k.a. follow, according] [to their] customs.

Therefore, what is [to be done?]  For the multitude will hear that [you've] come, & [it's certain,] they [will gather] together. Therefore, do [what] we say to you. We have 4 men, [who] have [taken] a vow. Take [these 4 men] [with you] & purify yourself with them. And be [responsible for] them, [so] that they may [fulfill their vow &] shave their heads. Numbers 6:5 All the days of the vow [of a Nazarite,] [during] his separation, there shall be no razor [to] come upon his head, &  he shall be holy & shall let the locks of his hair [on] his head grow, until the days [of his vow] [are] fulfilled, [a.k.a. finished,] in which he [separated] himself to the Lord. ]

And all may know that those things are nothing, [which] they were informed [of] [about] you. But that you, yourself, also walk, [a.k.a. follow,] orderly, & [keep] the Law.

We have [decided about] the Gentiles [who] believe, & written that they observe, [a.k.a. keep] no such [things, except] only that they keep themselves from: things offered to idols; blood; strangled [animals;] & from fornication, [a.k.a. adultery.]

Then the next day, Paul took the men, & [purified] himself with them, & entered into the temple, to signify the [completion] of the days of purification, until an offering should be offered [by] everyone of them.

And when the 7 days were almost [over,] the Jews, [who] were [from] Asia, stirred up all the people, & when they saw [Paul] in the temple, [they] laid hands upon, [a.k.a. seized,] him. Crying out, Men of Israel, help. This is the man, [who teaches,] against the people [of the Jews,] & the Law [of Moses, to] all men, everywhere.

[Furthermore,] [he has] also brought the Greeks, [a.k.a. Gentiles,] into the temple, & has [defiled] this Holy Place. (For they had [previously] seen [Paul] in the city [of] Trophimus, with an Ephesian, whom they supposed Paul had brought into the temple.)

And all the city was moved, [a.k.a agitated,] & the people ran together. And they took Paul, & [pulled] him out of the temple, & [immediately] the doors were shut. And as they [plotted] to kill [Paul, news] that all Jerusalem was in an uproar, came to the chief captain, [a.k.a. commander] of the [battalion.] Who immediately took soldiers, & Centurions, & ran down to them.

And when they saw the [commander] & the soldiers, they [stopped] beating Paul. Then, the commander came [close] & took [Paul.] And commanded [Paul] to be bound with two chains, & demanded [to know] who he was, & what he had done.

And among the multitude, some cried [out] 1 thing, & some another. And when [the commander,] couldn't know [for] [certain,] because of the [riot,] he commanded [that] [Paul] be carried into the castle [barracks.]

And [because] [of] the violence of the people, when [Paul] came upon the stairs, it was that he was [carried] [in by] the soldiers. For the multitude of people followed after [Paul,] crying [out,] Away with him.

And as Paul was [about] to be led into the castle, he said to the [commander,] May I speak to you? Who [in return] said, [Can] you speak Greek? [Aren't] you that Egyptian, [who prior] to these days [made] an uproar, & led 4,000 men, [who] were murderers out into the wilderness?

But Paul said, I am a man, [who is] a Jew [from] Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, & a citizen of no mean city. And I [urge] you, [to] [allow] me to speak to the people. And when [the commander,] had given [Paul permission,] Paul stood on the stairs & [motioned] to the people with his hand. And when [it] was made [silent,] there, [Paul spoke] to them in the Hebrew tongue, [a.k.a. language.] [Acts 22:1 Saying, You men, brethren, & fathers, hear my defence, [that] I make to you now.]